The present invention relates to a multi-directional operation switch and a multi-directional input device using the switch which are used for an input of data in an electronic device, such as a mobile telephone, a mobile data terminal, or a remote controller.
A conventional multi-directional operation switch will be explained referring to FIGS. 15 to 17.
FIG. 15 is a front cross sectional view of the conventional multi-directional operation switch. An upper opening of a box-like case 1 made of insulating resin is covered with a cover 2 of a metal sheet. In the case 1, four of front, rear, left, and right, peripheral fixed contacts 3 to 6 provided on a bottom side thereof by insert forming, as shown in an exploded perspective view of FIG. 16. Four elastic strip portions 9 to 12 of a common movable contact 8 secured to protrusions 1A and connected to a common lead 7 are located over peripheral fixed contacts 3 to 6 to face the contacts 3 to 6. A supporter 14 urged upward by a compression coil spring 13 mounted along an inner wall of the case 1 has square uppermost end 14A pressed to contact the cover 2. The supporter 14 has a recess 14B provided in the center thereof for accommodating a semi-spherical pivotable member 15. More particularly, the pivotable member 15 has a flange portion 15A located on a rim portion about the center recess 14B of the supporter 14 while having a round portion 15B fitting to a round opening 2A provided in the center of the cover 2. The center recess 14B restricts a pivotal movement of the flange portion 15A in a lateral direction of the pivotable member 15. The pivotable member 15 has a small spherical bottom 15C provided at the center of the lower side thereof which directly contacts a bottom center of the case 1 and can thus be tilted in any direction by its pivotal movement. A rod-like operating shank 16 extending upwardly from the top of the round portion 15B of the pivotable member 15 has a knob 17 mounted to the distal end 16A thereof. The supporter 14 has pressing portions 18A to 18D (portions 18B and 18C are not shown) provided on an edge of the lower side thereof corresponding to elastic strip portions 9 to 12 of the common movable contact 8, respectively.
An operation of the conventional multi-directional operation switch will be explained. FIG. 15 illustrates the switch is turned off while the operating shank 16 is held at a neutral center position.
When the knob 17 mounted to the distal end 16B of the operating shank 16 is depressed at the upper left in a direction A in the front cross sectional view of FIG. 17, the operating shank 16 tilts, and the pivotable member 15 turns to the left. At this moment, the round portion 15B contacts directly the inner edge in the round opening 2A of the cover 2. Simultaneously, the flange portion 15A of the pivotable member 15 presses down at the left against the bottom at the recess 14B of the supporter 14. This operation causes the supporter 14 to tilt leftward about the square uppermost end 14A at the right or opposite side to the left as a fulcrum. As the elastic strip portion 9 is pressed down against the fixed contact 3 by the pressing portion 18A of the supporter 14, the common movable contact 8 is electrically connected with the fixed contact 3, thus outputting a switching signal between terminal ports 7A and 3A.
At the moment, the uppermost end 14A at the left of the supporter 14 departs downwardly from the lower side of the cover 2 as resisting against a yielding force of the coil spring 13.
Then, when the depressing of the knob 17 is canceled, the yielding force of the coil spring 13 drives the supporter 14 and the pivotable member 15 to return back to their original neutral positions shown in FIG. 15. Simultaneously, the elastic strip portion 9 moves back by its elastic force from the fixed contact 3 to the original position shown in FIG. 15, hence turning the switch off.
Similarly, while the knob 17 mounted to the operating shank 16 shifts to the right, front, or rear, the switching signal can be output from one of lead ports 4A to 6A.
However, although an electronic device is demanded to have a reduced thickness or overall dimensions, such conventional multi-directional operation switch is large in the height and permit one switching signal to be released by any single action towards a desired direction.
A multi-directional operation switch includes plural annular conductive layers provided concentrically and having lead ports, respectively, an elastic first insulating sheet spaced by a distance from the annular conductive layers, an annular resistor layer provided on a first side of the first insulating sheet, facing the annular conductive layers, and having at least three lead ports, and an operating member including plural pressing portions provided over the annular conductive layers corresponding to the pressing portions, respectively. The pressing portions is provided over a second side of the first insulating sheet. The pressing portions of the operating member presses the first insulating sheet to make the annular conductive layers sequentially contact the resistor layer.
The multi-directional operation switch is low in the height and can produce a number of different switching signals depending on desired angular directions of its switching operation.